In conversations with Brampton businesses across manufacturing, logistics, development, hospitality, healthcare, and technology, one concern continues to come up again and again:
“We can’t find the people we need to grow.”
Much attention has rightly been paid to tariffs, trade uncertainty, and geopolitical instability as those pressures on businesses matter. But workforce availability is different. Like interprovincial trade, this is not a challenge caused by Washington, global conflict, or international negotiations but rather a challenge that Canada has the power to address.
The issue is complex. We need stronger pipelines into high schools, colleges, universities, apprenticeships, and the skilled trades. We need more young Canadians to see clear, respected, and well-supported pathways into in-demand careers. But we also need to be honest: Canada does not currently have a sufficient domestic workforce to meet demand in many key sectors.
The numbers tell the story – Canadian employers reported more than 547,000 job vacancies at the end of 2024. Workforce shortages remain one of the most commonly cited barriers to growth, particularly in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, healthcare, and hospitality. At the same time, Canada’s population is aging rapidly, with retirements accelerating across the economy. Ontario’s construction sector alone is expected to require more than 100,000 additional workers by 2030, while manufacturing continues to face significant retirements and replacement needs.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce among other trade organizations have repeatedly warned that labour shortages, demographic pressures, and skills mismatches are limiting economic growth and reducing Canada’s competitiveness. These challenges are not theoretical, they are being felt every day by employers trying to fill positions, expand operations, and serve customers.
That is why immigration has become such an important part of Canada’s workforce strategy. According to Statistics Canada, immigration accounted for nearly 80 per cent of Canada’s labour force growth between 2016 and 2021. Today, immigrants represent almost 29 per cent of Canada’s workforce. Put simply, Canada’s labour force growth increasingly depends on newcomers.
This reality makes recent policy changes particularly challenging for employers.
It is fair to acknowledge that opening the immigration floodgates in recent years created real pressures on housing, healthcare, infrastructure, and community services. Canadians were right to expect governments to address those challenges and bring greater balance to the system. But there is a significant difference between recalibrating immigration levels and dramatically reducing access to the talent businesses rely upon.
Rather than gradually adjusting policies in consultation with employers and industry groups, recent changes have created considerable uncertainty. Canada’s current immigration plan reduces temporary resident targets from approximately 674,000 in 2025 to 385,000 in 2026; a reduction of roughly 43 per cent in a single year.
For many businesses, the issue is not simply fewer workers entering Canada. It is what happens to the workers who are already here. Across multiple sectors, I have heard from employers who recruited internationally because they could not find the talent they needed domestically. They invested time and money into recruitment. They trained employees. They integrated them into their teams. They relied on them to serve customers, increase production, and support growth.
Now many of those same employers are watching valued employees struggle to secure permanent residency despite already contributing to the economy, paying taxes, filling critical workforce needs, and building lives in Canada and ultimately being told to go back to where they came from. The result is a growing talent paradox.
Canada continues to face significant workforce shortages, yet qualified workers are being lost from the very sectors that need them most. Employers who have invested heavily in recruiting and training talent are left uncertain whether those employees will be permitted to remain in Canada long-term.
As a result there are not enough workers available to meet demand. Further, businesses become hesitant to invest in recruiting and training workers when the long-term retention of that talent is uncertain.
The consequences are real. A manufacturer loses productivity when trained technical workers leave. A logistics company loses capacity when experienced staff cannot remain. A construction company facing retirements struggles to take on new projects. A healthcare provider cannot maintain service levels. A hospitality business deals with constant turnover and escalating recruitment costs.
At a time when Canada desperately needs stronger productivity and economic growth, these outcomes work against our own competitiveness.
The solution is not a return to unchecked immigration. Nor is it a choice between supporting Canadian workers and welcoming skilled newcomers. We need both. Canada should continue investing in domestic talent pipelines through high schools, colleges, universities, apprenticeships, and skilled trades programs. We need stronger connections between education and employment so that more young Canadians can see clear pathways into in-demand careers.
At the same time, we need a more predictable and transparent system for individuals already contributing to our economy. Workers who are filling verified labour shortages, building careers, and contributing to their communities should have clearer pathways to permanent residency. Employers who have invested in recruiting and training talent should have confidence that those workers have a fair opportunity to remain in Canada.
Most importantly, industry must have a seat at the table. Workforce policy cannot be developed in isolation from the employers who create jobs, invest in skills, and drive economic growth. Major changes to immigration and labour market policies should be informed by meaningful consultation with the businesses that experience their impacts every day.
At the Brampton Board of Trade, we continue to hear from members that workforce availability remains one of the most significant barriers to growth. If Canada is serious about improving productivity, strengthening competitiveness, and growing our economy, workforce policy must become an economic priority.
Unlike tariffs, trade disputes, or global conflicts, this is a challenge that Canadians have the power to address ourselves.
The question is whether we are prepared to do so.